Saturday, April 30, 2011

This is what I like seeing most when it comes to the marketing of a movie:Behind the scenes (BTS)! Paramount has released BTS clips (via Collider) along with the finished scenes (most of which have been seen in previous trailers, but be warned there are minor spoilers).

Curious about why the rest of the world is loving THOR? Check out these videos and understand a bit more! We will find out for ourselves in North America next weekend...

Here's the movie's synopsis:The epic adventure "Thor" spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. As a result, Thor is banished to Earth, where he is forced to live among humans. When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Currently, THOR is enjoying a 94% fresh rating onRottenTomatoes, the 2 hour, 10 minute movie is charming most who see it. Can't wait!

Friday, April 29, 2011

A few new posters to have a look at today: Two for GREEN LANTERN (GL) and one for TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (T:DOTM).

The visually creative GL creatures look amazing, not simply in their rendering but the diverse alien pedigree that will be present throughout the movie. The comic book of course provided the fodder for much of that content, but it is fascinating to see them together on one poster and in the coming scenes in the movie.

Here's the synopsis for GREEN LANTERN:'Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

The film is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”) and Greg Berlanti (upcoming “Life As We Know It”). Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas serve as executive producers. Geoff Johns and Lucienne Papon are co-producing.

The film’s behind-the-scenes creative team is led by a number of Academy Award® winners, including director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), and costume designer Ngila Dickson (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), as well as Oscar®-nominated editor and longtime Campbell collaborator, Stuart Baird (“Gorillas in the Mist,” “Superman”). The film’s visual effects are being overseen by Oscar®-nominee Kent Houston (“The Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen,” “Casino Royale”).

The film is currently scheduled for release in 3D and 2D on June 17, 2011. “Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. '

The T:DOTM poster (the first of many) has a very dominant Optimus Prime (OP) standing over Shia and Rosie but more importantly over what seems to be a downed evil decepticon. That shot with OP spinning and dealing damage to multiple decepticons looks AMAZING.

Here's the first synopsis for DARK OF THE MOON:When a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. The movie stars Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, with John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Nice day for trailer premieres! Love it!! Next up is the first trailer for HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT2 and as expected, it does not disappoint.

Obviously much darker than the previous movies, Part 2 looks like it is going to pat Part 1 on the back and say "Nice try, but I've got this..."

My first impressions are clearly that this movie will have a ton of action. And IMPORTANT action. I won't give away details from the book, but there are some very significant events in this conclusion (should they all be inherited in the adaption of course).

Have a look!

DEATHLY HALLOWS will be the first of the movies to be officially released in 3D (conversion) in theaters as Part 1 had to open in 2D due to time constraints. Of course that conversion work is not lost and we will see it on the 3D Blu-ray release at some point. Further, word is that ALL of the series will be converted for 3D home entertainment! More on that when I hear it.

With JK Rowling thinking about writing further exploits I can't really see any reason why the phenomenon won't stop with this one. See you at the theater!

Everything that I have heard about THOR overseas has been stellar, especially the conversion which is music to my ears! Could it be that we finally have a 3D post converted movie that will set the bar higher for all that follow?THE GREEN HORNET was well done, but had issues. What I am hearing is that THOR has delivered on its promises and has made Marvel proud.

Here's what MarketSaw readers from around the world are saying (feel free to add more below in comments - including spoilers):

Ebostock:"You could not tell it was conversion , to me it was = to AVATAR , And as for the film , Do you agree its the best comic book movie ever made ?"

"As for MARVELS schedule , they are a well oiled machine now , with the man power of Disney , to get this done on time ,Watch THOR and then tell me if your not excited for the AVENGERS."

"To me the 3D was really strong from start to finish , There may have been some shots were 3D was not present , but it felt natural , a really skilled conversion , The shot were THOR is kneeling after the first time he tries to lift the hammer is the best 3D shot i have seen , It helps that it is such a great movie , And i plan to see it again."

Kilar:"...I just got back from Thor (Australia has it's advantages at times!)... Man, I haven't had such a good time at a film in ages. The 3D was very very good, by far the best conversion I've seen and honestly I wouldn't have picked it as converted at all. Some absolutely fantastic 3D shots. And wow, who would of thought Kenneth Branough would be a kick ass action director. That just happened!!!"

GeorgeOfTheIMAX:"Don't get me wrong the 3D was awesome when there was 3D . I liked it but i tend to dislike the fact that there are 2D scenes in 45% of the movie when we pay for 3D. Im gonna go watch it again tomorrow in IMAX. Gonna pay close attention to the 3D. Cause first time i saw it i just watched without looking at something in particular. Second time(without the glasses) i was just observing it again. And the third time i was paying attention to the details(costumes, backgrounds, sounds which are all AMAZING). One would think that after 2 years of working for a cinema i would learn to multitask that stuff.p.s. the 45% thing might be a tad bit over exaggerated. But there were a lot of scenes that didnt have 3D.@EBostock that scene was unexpected(at least for me). And i agree it was one of the best 3D ive seen. But movies like Wild Safari, The Haunted Castle (all 40 min long imax only movies) have awesome 3D so nothing new on that front. I do have to admit i am curious as to how far 3D can be pushed. Transformers is gonna be a fun example of action 3D. At least until we see the Cameron 3D action movie with 60fps(if im not mistaken)."

For me personally, I really push for 3D conversion movies to have rest periods for us to rest our eyes. We don't need 3D for every piece of dialog or close up (THE GREEN HORNET was too much). The best 3D is used for depth and immersion and boy, it sounds like THOR has got it right. We will soon see here in North America!

That's our update from fellow readers overseas about THOR and its 3D conversion.Sounds like we have a winner on our hands! Once I see this movie, I will walk out of the theater, turn to whoever is beside me, throw down my ticket on the floor and say in a deep voice: "This movie... I like it. ANOTHER!!" :-)

Be sure to leave further THOR reviews (both content and conversion) in the commentsbut BE FOREWARNED: SPOILERS ARE ALLOWED!!

With an obvious nod towards Tarsem Singh's work in 300, IMMORTALS brings incredible visuals back to the screen highlighting Mickey Rouke as the villain King Hyperion and Henry Cavill as Theseus.

The Relativity release has a budget of $100 million and will be post converted to S3D. With the overwhelming response to how well THOR has been converted, I am hoping for a continued trend in the positive with every single release. Certainly many factors exist in the execution of a near perfect conversion but I hope its gold standard work flow is not far away.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

*NOTE: Apparently the trailer is set to launch April 28 at 4pm Pacific time!

Paramount has released 3 more images (via Apple in higher res) with a fourth to be revealed tomorrow prior to the trailer.

Click on the images to enlarge.

I have to say that my curiosity is through the roof on this one. Michael Bay was against 3D in the past and now he has fully embraced native 3D production and has integrated it into his style of shooting. Knowing how meticulous he is for complex scenes, the S3D should be spectacular!

And if the story pays off like he says it will, I am hoping for something magical.

Here is the storyline for T:DOTM - The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009’s Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. In this new movie, the Autobots and Decepticons become involved in a perilous space race between the U.S. and Russia, and once again human Sam Witwicky has to come to the aid of his robot friends. There’s new characters too, including a new villain in the form of Shockwave, a longtime “Transformers” character who rules Cybertron while the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out on Earth.

I have been so excited about this movie since day one and thus far there is very little to suggest to me that Warner Bros is not going to pull this thing off. It looks like a masterpiece of super hero fodder.

What I love most about all these hero movies coming out is that it is introducing so many to the rich characters and incredible storys behind them. Comic books certainly have their following, but obviously they are not ubiquitous. Tentpole films are in your face and if they are executed correctly (like the modern BATMANs and SPIDER-MANs) they will suitably wow most audiences, sometimes just slapping them in the face with how brilliant they have been created.

Make no mistake, GREEN LANTERN is a VERY important movie for Warner Bros. The studio is seeking to replace the lost POTTER movies with the DC Comics line up of adapted comic books. BATMAN and SUPERMAN are obviously the big plays, but this is the real battle ground - the second tier heroes if you will. Marvel is doing it very successfully and DC has to keep up.

With this TV spot, we see more of the finished CG and some new glimpses at what is in store for us! I was so tempted to look away for fear of spoiling my initial pristine viewing experience in the theater, but no worries. Not too much more is given over and above the original trailers.

You can begin to see the epic scale of this project, and to my critical eye - suspension of disbelief is there! I am soooo looking forward to this. Yes, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA are top of mind too, but it is GREEN LANTERN that is really catching my attention. Man I hope it delivers!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Here's the first official shot from THE AVENGERS set! Certainly gets you in the mood to see what they have in store for these guys.

Here's the official press release:

Production has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey, Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2″) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) as Thor, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2″) as Black Widow, Clark Gregg (“Iron Man,” “Thor”) as Agent Phil Coulson, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2″) as Nick Fury. Set for release in the US on May 4, 2012, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the first feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” is the super hero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Marvel’s The Avengers” brings together the mightiest super hero characters as they all assemble together on screen for the first time. The star studded cast of super heroes will be joined by Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother) as Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Tom Hiddleston (“Wallander”) and Stellan Skarsgård (“Angels & Demons,” “Mamma Mia!”) who will both reprise their respective roles as Loki and Professor Erik Selvig from the upcoming Marvel Studios’ feature “Thor.”

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patty Whitcher, and Jon Favreau. Marvel Studios’ Jeremy Latcham and Victoria Alonso will co-produce.

Marvel Studios most recently produced “Iron Man 2″ which was released in theatres on May 7, 2010. The sequel to “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the number one spot its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million. To date the film has earned over $620 million in worldwide box office receipts.

In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies, “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey, Jr. originally dons the super hero’s powerful armor alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008 and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million its opening weekend and grossed over $571 million worldwide. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk” marking its second number one opener of that summer. The spectacular revival of the iconic green goliath grossed over $250 million in worldwide box office receipts.

Stay tuned for breaking set photos and clips as we get them! We will be following this movie's production with a fine tooth comb :-)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Which will be the bigger hit? :-) Gee, I wonder. Both PIRANHA 3DD and THE AVENGERS start shooting today!

Here's what AVENGERS director Joss Whedon told Whedonesque: Tomorrow we start shooting (I THINK I'm legally permitted to say that). Day one. That's right. We'll be shooting the pivotal death/betrayal/product placement/setting up the sequel/coming out scene, at the following address:[Marvel Lawyers rush in, take Joss's keyboard, blowtorch a picture of his family like in "Stormy Monday", drink his milkshake, leave the seat up, fluff his pillows, violently unfluff his pillows, leave]Went too far. My bad. Anyhoo, it should be a fun day, followed by the eighty thousand other fun days it will take to finish this. I'll be checking in from time to time, if there's news or I crave attention (i.e. am awake) . None of it will be Avengers news -- I have some very denty pillows to remind of that -- but I may have tidbits. (They're not about Firefly. I should say that up front, if only to protect Sis Mo from the HATORZ.)Some of you may be saying, Joss! Why this link, here, now, why, huh, howcum? My friend Allyx turned me on to these guys, and I'll tell you, they've gotten me through this intensely pressurized, preply time. I strongly recommend checking out their other vids -- I've watched them many many times, and I have a very special place for "Teamwork" in my heart. These guys are the guys. And IS there a better movie title than "Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses"? I thought not.So wish me luck. DO IT! LUCK! NOW! I'm off to finish some Buffy pages, and then figure out what the movie is about already. I'm pretty sure it's about the Justice League [Marvel Lawyers re-enter, unspeakability occurs] or possibly something else. I'll get it. I've been looking forward to this. For about 46 years.Catchphrase!-j.

Marvel's THE AVENGERS comes to theaters May 4, 2012.

Regarding John Gulager's PIRANHA 3DD, not a lot is known about it other than casting. Matt Bush, Danielle Panabaker, Chris Zylka, Meagan Tandy, Jean-Luc Bilodeau and David Koechner to name a few. I see no big names though - nothing of the calibre of Richard Dreyfus. Certainly HE won't be back... :-)

We do have a small bit of a location teaser from The Weinstein Company though: There’s something in the water . . . again. And this time no one is safe from the flesh eating fish as they sink their razor sharp teeth into the visitors of the best summer attraction, The Big Wet Water Park.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Wow. Nice round number! Wish I had ONE of them :-) Jim Jannard has announced over on his REDUser boards that James Cameron has bought 50 RED Epic-M Cameras.

Sooooo... the obvious question is: Are they for AVATAR 2? We'll find out soon enough. It is interesting though because of the recent Cameron-Pace Group announcement of working closely with ARRI. Of course, there is no reason why they have to stop with only the European camera company though. The RED Epics have been getting rave reviews lately over in Peter Jackson's HOBBIT camp.

It was only a matter of time though. The RED Epics are taking the world by storm with their 5K and 3D friendly capabilities (THE HOBBIT, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, PROMETHEUS, CONTAGION to name a few) and their small form factor. This is exceptionally good news for the competitive camera landscape and shows you the power of what is (somewhat) available for independent filmmakers too.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Good news. Ian Holm is returning as the older version of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT!

Jackson himself confirmed the news to his official Facebook page:"One comment that came up from the recent video blog was the Bilbo voice at the end—many of you assumed it was Sir Ian Holm. Whilst Ian will be returning as the older Bilbo Baggins in 'The Hobbit,' that recording was actually Martin Freeman's voice, taken from a script read through we recorded when the cast first arrived. I have to admit, I wasn't sure who it was when I first heard it, either. Cheers, Peter J"

Can't wait to see the Martin Freeman / Ian Holm transition during the movie - whether it is simply a matter of Holm reading from the book (ala Elijah Wood) or whether it is more intricate.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Got some inside info from Bloody Disgusting that John Luessenhop (TAKERS) is in talks to direct LEATHERFACE 3D which will be a sequel to the Platinum Dunes remake of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Lionsgate would mostlikely distribute the Twisted Pictures production (Variety).

Apparently Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Stephen Susco have written the sequel that picks up where the original TCM left off.

I think that Twisted Pictures can pull this one off. They certainly have the background of making ridiculously low cost horror movies into major cash cows (i.e. the SAW franchise) and TCM certainly fits into whole bloody mess.

I hope this comes about. Should be interesting to watch it develop! In fact, Twisted Pictures should be interested in buying this site too as we have the word 'Saw' don't we? :-)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

This movie has got family blockbuster written all over it! We first heard of DOLPHIN TALE back when Warner Bros. revealed their upcoming 2011 3D movies last December. Count on this doing very well at the box office I would wager.

Alcon Entertainment's DOLPHIN TALE is being produced by the same team that brought us THE BLIND SIDE (same studio too - Warner Bros.) so you can expect a great story based on a true events. In this case it is about a young boy's friendship with a dolphin whose tail was lost in a crab trap. The real life dolphin, Winter, plays himself in the movie.

Here's the official synopsis:Based on true events "Dolphin Tale" is a family film about Winter, a young dolphin who loses her tail in a crab trap and Sawyer, the introverted, 11-year old boy who befriends her. Sawyer meets the rescued dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a marine rehabilitation center where she lives. Sawyer rallies friends and family alike to save Winter by convincing a pioneering doctor to create a unique prosthetic attachment to restore the dolphin’s ability to swim. Winter the dolphin will play herself in the movie.

I can see this connecting with family audiences on a massive scale! An original, live action story no less.

Note that the music in the trailer is NOT by U2, but rather a band called Golden State. You can watch their music video for the same song here. Clearly their sound has been influenced heavily by the mega Irish band. DOLPHIN TALE's score was done by Mark Isham.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Groundbreaking Four-Part Civil War Series To Utilize Scripted Reenactments And Digitized Stereoscopic Stills To Bring Historic Conflict To Life

(Culver City, Calif.) - 3net, the joint venture 24/7 3D network from Sony, Discovery and IMAX have begun principal photography on the world's first native 3D War Documentary, it was announced today by Tom Cosgrove, President & CEO of 3net. THE CIVIL WAR 3D*, the most ambitious 3D series ever produced for television, will transport viewers back in time, retelling the war's most pivotal moments both on and off the battlefields from the unique perspective of both sides in the historic conflict. The four-hour miniseries is scheduled to debut on the network in Fall 2011.

"Shooting in native 3D gives us the unique ability to bring an entirely new level of depth and emotion to this epic time in history with groundbreaking storytelling that simply hasn't been possible until now,"said Cosgrove."As well, THE CIVIL WAR 3D series further reflects our ongoing mission to provide the kind of immersive in-home 3D experience available nowhere else on television."

David W. Padrusch, Director of THE CIVIL WAR 3D for Towers Productions, LLC, who is also serving as Executive Producer along with the company's founder and chief creative officer, Jonathan Towers, added,"Our editorial and technical approach to telling the story of the Civil War is unlike anything previously undertaken. Jonathan and I will bring the prism of 3D technology to first-person accounts of battlefield experiences as a way of exploring the humanity and the complexity of motivations of soldiers on both sides of the war."

"The lifeblood of any historical recreation is the research,"said Patrick Brennan, who serves as historical consultant and co-writer of THE CIVIL WAR 3D and is also the author of Secessionville: Assault on Charleston. "The 1st Virginia and 20th Massachusetts regiments participated in nearly every major battle in the Easter Theater, and the men in these units gave us authentic and haunting first-hand insights into America's darkest days."

THE CIVIL WAR 3D will magnify the epic fight for liberty, patriotism and democracy by resurrecting the intimate accounts of the brave men on the front lines. This landmark native 3D series will give viewers unique insight into both the Northern and Southern experience. By paralleling personal stories from soldiers in counter regiments, the Union's Massachusetts 20th and the Confederate's Virginia 1st, THE CIVIL WAR 3D will show the agony and determination endured through camp life, training, and all-out war.

Detailed letters from Union soldier Henry Livermore Abbott, who would die in the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864, will be juxtaposed with Confederate cadet Charles Loehr, whose eloquent memoirs reveal similar sentiments from the South. Viewers will witness how their differences in beliefs, strategy, artillery and support influenced the conflict's final outcome.

Utilizing specially digitized stereoscopic archival imagery from the period, scripted reenactments and character narrative, THE CIVIL WAR 3D promises to bring audiences a "closest to real" experience that only native 3D can deliver. Towers Productions, LLC will produce the series with Executive Producers Jonathan Towers and David W. Padrusch. Padrusch will also direct the series. Tim Pastore will serve as Executive Producer on behalf of 3net.

* Denotes working title

About 3net3net, the joint venture of Sony Corporation, Discovery Communications and IMAX Corporation brings together three of the world's leading media, technology and entertainment companies to provide the nation's first and only fully programmed, 24/7 3D network. The three partners deliver an extraordinary collection of award-winning 3D content, technology and production expertise, television distribution and operational strength to the project, with a mission to bring viewers the highest quality and most immersive in-home 3D viewing experience possible. The channel will feature the most extensive library of 3D content in the world by the end of 2011, featuring genres that are most appealing in 3D, including natural history, documentary, action/adventure, travel, history, hyper-reality, lifestyle and cuisine, concerts, movies, scripted series and more. 3net is currently available on DIRECTV channel 107. For more information, please visit www.3net.com.

Yes!! Can't wait to see this in native 3D...I have a feeling 3NET is going to continue to wow us with 3D content!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Well I am a bit disappointed with the news, but Alfonso Cuaron will be converting GRAVITY to S3D during post production. The hugely anticipated Sci-Fi thriller about a space mission gone wrong and an attempted return to earth will start lensing at the end of May.

The producer of the movie, David Heyman (image) told Collider: “The whole film has been pre-vised and figured out, it’s f*ckin’ awesome. I mean, unlike anything you’ve seen in space. It’s just great.”

"We’re using technology that’s never seen before. This film will be more immersive, I believe, than anything you’ve seen before. You will really feel like you are in space. It will not be an objective view of space, it will be an immersive view of space. And you know as you say, with Children of Men, he loves these long shots. It’s gonna be a really bold, bold film."

And further on S3D:"…actually, we did some tests. Because this film is being made almost entirely digitally, a huge amount of it’s being made digitally. 3D felt like a really organic—because so much of it’s being done digitally, you can make the 3D in a post process much more easily than if you were shooting all live-action or sitting in a room."

Sounds as though much of the movie will be CG, including the sets, so yes that is true: 3D conversion should be easier and a bit more elegant. Cuaron still has to shoot with 3D in mind and I actually hope he enlists an experienced stereographer; just to give him the tips almost anyone would need while shooting - especially marathon shots.

Good luck to Cuaron on this - George Clooney and Sandra Bullock should ace their roles as they are both excellent actors. Hopefully the conversion will be a good one. Looking forward to more news!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

So we obviously need to have a shark attack movie in 3D right? I would love to see Jaws converted of course, but in the meanwhile here is SHARK NIGHT 3D.

This official image has Sara Paxton about to become a snack for a shark. The director, David R. Ellis (FINAL DESTINATION 2, 4 and SNAKES ON A PLANE) is clearly shooting for a 3D thrill ride movie with a title like SHARK NIGHT 3D (SN3D).

As a general rule, underwater images look outstanding in stereoscopic 3D and if it is done right, SN3D should have no trouble eliciting plenty of shocking scenes.

Friday, April 15, 2011

If you have been following my coverage of PRIEST from the beginning, then I think you know that I am looking forward to its release a great deal. I have to say that the visual effects professionals working on this production are some of the best in the industry, and top of mind here is Visual Effects Producer Jenny Fulle. More on PRIEST in a moment.

Jenny has started her own visual effects company called The Creative-Cartelthat I think has found an ideal niche in Hollywood - an outsourced visual effects department. Here is what makes her company stand out: They will contract with a production to work with the director and examine each shot in the movie to determine the best possible visual effects shop to tackle it. Each shop has their own areas of expertise. Sometimes a shot may require an ILM or WETA, but other times it can be a small boutique shop. The Creative-Cartel then manages it all. They have their own infrastructure in place that is carried through from project to project.

But here's the rub:The Creative-Cartel (TCC) also does this for S3D conversion needs! They will shop around for the best conversion companies to do particular shots and then will oversee the piecing together of these components into one cohesive movie that is seamless to the viewer. Brilliant.

The end result is that the studio will achieve 2 or 3 times more special effects for their money with TCC than if they had to hire, build, produce, tear down and release for each production. Make sense? It sure does.

Which leads us to PRIEST. Sony Screen Gems doesn't normally do effects laden films and yet they felt that they could tackle this genre with the assistance of TCC and to me it looks like a slam dunk.

I am really liking the world they have created for the priest warriors and vampires, and they are not your standard vampires! Actually I can see hints of past work from both Jenny and Scott in the trailers: The vampires have minute similarities to the creatures in I AM LEGEND (She did FX for that movie too) and the atmosphere of PRIEST reminds me a small bit of LEGION (Stewart directed). The feelings are subtle but adds to the air of the production for me as I simply was floored by I AM LEGEND.One of my favorites (in fact I just watched it again last night!).

I will say that I have not seen any absolutely finished 3D from the movie yet, and the fact that there was no stereographer on set to assist with setting scenes and shooting (yes, even in 2D) concerns me. But that concern is greatly mitigated by the fact that Jenny Fulle is looking after all of that. My fingers are crossed for a great conversion!

Jenny talks about her company and of course her work on PRIEST in the interview - I invite you to listen to the whole conversation...Here's a breakdown of what we covered:

1:20 -On working with director Scott Stewart for PRIEST

5:00 - How she accomplished "suspension of disbelief" on such a complex film

5:45 -Jenny talks about her new company and what they offer the industry

9:00 -Very cool story on how she got her start in Hollywood - at 18, she was hired as a janitor for Lucasfilm!

10:20 -Tips to anyone wanting a career doing what she does in visual effects

11:30 -What's next for her? She is finishing up effects and 3D conversion for GHOST RIDER 2 and also has work on TED

Attention all indie filmmakers using or considering DSLR for your camera - GREAT news! There is a high probability that ALL GH1 serial numbers will soon be hackable and the GH2 will follow!!

First some history...

User 13 (Vitaliy Kiselev) from the DVXuser forums was able to hack into the Panasonic Lumix GH1 camera's firmware back a couple of years ago and make this available to any owner. The change was dramatic (increased bitrate amongst other hacks) and turned the GH1 into a gorilla for full HD video. I know - I own one, it is hacked and it is simply the best for the money. The nickname for these modified cameras are GH13 in honor of user 13. You can search for videos made with this hack on various sharing sites by using Gh13 or GH1 hack.

Panasonic caught on and changed their firmware so that only a certain range of serial numbers can be hacked - BUT that is changing as you read this.According to the DVXuser forums, a call is being made for donations to fund Vitaliy's hack for ANY GH1. You read that right, no matter what serial number of GH1 you have, it can and will be freed with this new hack once it is made available. The current price of a new GH1? $250. Amazing.Further, Vitaliy will be able to use the information from this effort to break into the newer Panasonic Lumix GH2!! This is outstanding news. If this camera is broken open and freed to it's upper limits I assure you that the results will be stellar for Full HD filmmaking.

So now it is up to Vitaliy to make the hack and he needs donations to fund the work. He needs to buy two GH1's, the first will be bricked once the firmware is dumped and then the second he will actually work on. He will also need Gh2's down the road. You can make a donation here.

FURTHER STILL, there is reasonable expectation that Vitaliy can hack the GH2 to allow for a jam-sync - allowing stereoscopic 3D syncing to take place between 2 cameras!! Yes, this is possible and actually the GH1 is doing it now through this site. Two GH2's in sync will be amazing to work with!

As an advocate of indie filmmaking, these developments are HUGE. If you are interested, I invite you to make a donation to the effort.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

AMAZING!! Wow. Who cannot be excited for these films? Peter Jackson promised us some video from THE HOBBIT and boy did he deliver! I am going to be playing this back over and over just to capture all the little bits of information he has given us. The PROPS! Guys, I live for behind-the-scenes (BTS) clips and this is the grand daddy of them all so early into production!!

Can you see how Peter has changed his approach to marketing his Middle-earth films? In fact it comes across as not even marketing (though it obviously is); it appears to us as being a special family opening their doors to the fans and nothing more. Magical. No more ultra secretive productions (sure, he has blurred out aspects of this clip, but you know what I mean) and he has embraced social media! I love it. Just seeing the care and professionalism being taken on creating the sets, wardrobe and well, the energy and aura of Tolkien's work is breathtaking.

Jackson's walk around tour makes me wonder why they don't keep these sets together for tourism purposes. I would gladly pay hundreds of dollars for a day to view these things. What do you think?

Love how Jackson plays with us putting on his 3D glasses! And he keeps repeating Dorey, Dorey, DOREY all the time!! Ok, so it's Dori, but it does have a great ring to it on this set! I'm ecstatic that he is so on board with stereo. And those Red Epic cameras!! On 3ality Digital rigs too - it all looks like candy to me.

Hmmm... At the beginning did you notice Gollum's chair is higher than Bilbo's? Andy Serkis has some clout now doesn't he? ;-)

The traditional greeting ceremony, the many unsung contributors in the background, all the dwarves sitting around the table at Bag End and having Ian McKellan positively glowing on set is such a gift to us. Thank you Peter. Thank you.

Lately we have seen a massive push towards a "Gold Standard" for native stereoscopic 3D content and not just idle chat. A real movement is taking place and it will play a huge part in the coming years in ensuring the movie going public gets what they are paying for in theaters.

And it's more than that. It's about the best transportative immersion possible! Sure we want to get our money's worth at the movies, but it is about being entertained more than anything else. Movies remain a recession proof escape from reality that in the big picture is very affordable.

The Gold Standard movement is focusing on delivering quality 3D content that audiences will know intuitively as being worth their time and money. That the content will not be hindered by 3D. No more CLASH OF THE TITANS debacles. By following the productions associated with the companies listed in this post, YOU will have confidence that what they produce in the end will be of the highest caliber.

Think Pixar. Everything they touch is of the highest caliber and the box office shows it. I also think about a huge corporation that bet the bank on 3D - Sony. Do you realize they havetrue end-to-end 3D offerings? Pro and consumer 3D cameras, 3D TVs, 3D theatrical projectors, 3D focused movie studios, 3D blu-ray technology, 3D gaming on Playstations - you name a division and it probably has 3D in it's mandate!

Now think 3ality Digital. And Cameron - Pace Group. The first wave of Gold Standard, uncompromising companies have stepped up to the plate and declared: Watch us. We will deliver the best in S3D.

There is sure to be more come along - I was thinking as early as last year that perhaps a presentation company like IMAX might be the company to step forward and tackle this issue by saying whenever you see our brand, you can have confidence in the 3D being screened. But it is more than just movies! S3D content is everywhere today: 3D theatrical movies, 3D home videos, 3D theatrical alternative content (like gaming), 3D home gaming, 3D phones, 3D portable devices, 3D computer applications, and of course 3D content to power these devices! It is the content that needs to drive everything. 3D movies, sports, live events, concerts, etc. Really, the answer needed to be 3D production companies and they have stepped forward.

3ality Digital is pushing this goal (here and here) and with the Cameron - Pace Group announcement (here) hot on the heels of 3ality Digital's news this week, the stage is set for rapid and real improvement in 3D content for audiences across the spectrum of native 3D entertainment. Competition is always needed and let me tell you that the professionals at both companies are simply the best at what they do. PERIOD. I can assure you of that.

Let's drill into the news a bit. There seems to be a slight polarization regarding camera hardware for the 3D rigs with Cameron - Pace Group (CPG) using the ARRI cameras (Martin Scorsese is using them on HUGO CABRET) - of course they still have their FUSION cameras too; and 3ality Digital is using the REDs (Peter Jackson has them on THE HOBBIT). Hardware is a matter of preference for directors and DPs, either choice will look amazing especially in tandem with the superior 3D services provided by these companies. And these platforms offered by 3ality Digital and CPG are flexible by design - other camera vendors should be able to work with them going forward as well.

Aside from the hardware and content that is required to deliver top 3D standards, we need professionals to drive them! Both of these companies are mandating education for existing cinematographers to be concurrent priorities for them - topping up the pros already impressive credentials with S3D knowledge - to become top drawer stereographers.

What these companies and the Gold Standard all boil down to is that the future is happening right now and it is all about the audience. What a privilege I've had over the past 5 and a half years to report on history in the making - a Hollywood 3D revolution. We are witnessing a renaissance right now with technology rapidly advancing and expertise catching up. Welcome to modern S3D, generation 2!

What do I want to see next?I want to see a Gold Standard for 3D conversion. I want to see a company step up and guarantee the best quality possible every time. Audiences NEED to know that when they see any movie, it is not 3D that will let them down. Just as they know Dolby sound won't let them down. Just as they know Pixar won't let them down. We now see that native 3D has it's heroes, let's expand that to conversion.

A giant tip of the hat to 3ality Digital and CPG! It's a pleasure to know and work with you everyday.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

We have the latest PRIEST trailer for you! This one has a ton of action in it to give you a taste of that component of the Scott Stewart directed tentpole.

I am scheduled to interview the Visual Effects Founder / Producer on the movie, Jenny Fulle tomorrow and will upload that conversation ASAP! Really looking forward to discussing what they have accomplished with the project. It looks amazing. If you have any questions for her, let me know and I will try to include. Of course time is limited.

Here's the storyline:‘Priest’, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church.

When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Here's a quick first look at Will Smith and Josh Brolin in Sony's MEN IN BLACK III.

Not much to comment on except a slicked back hair style for Brolin which actually looks better than his normal quaff if you ask me. Definitely fitting into a successful younger Tommy Lee Jones mold isn't he?

Not many details about the plot have been confirmed though the movie will have a time travel storyline with Agent J and Agent K going back to the 1960s to see a young Agent K. Boris (the bad guy), also travels back in time to try and kill Agent K to set off a chain of events which will result in the end of the world.

CAST:- Will Smith as James Darrell Edwards III/Agent J, an MIB agent- Tommy Lee Jones as Kevin Brown/Agent K, an MIB agent- Josh Brolin as a younger Kevin Brown/Agent K- Rip Torn as Chief Zed, the head of the MIB- Emma Thompson as Agent O, agent of the MIB in present day and a secretary in the 1960s- Nicole Scherzinger as Lilly, a villain in the film and girlfriend to Agent J- Jemaine Clement as Boris, the main villain in the film- Gemma Arterton- Alice Eve as a younger Agent O

Barry Sonnenfeld's MEN IN BLACK III is slated for a May 25, 2012 release.

Hey guys - have a special treat for you! I had the opportunity to interview James Cameron and Vince Pace via phone from their NAB appearance to announce their new business, the Cameron - Pace Group (CPG).

I shared the discussion with two other reporters but their audio was so low that I had to unfortunately cut out their questions entirely. They asked questions about 3D sports and high definition so I included the relevant answer portions from Cameron and Pace which was loud and clear. Of course my questions came through with no issue at all.

The biggest thing I got out of the discussion was that the Cameron - Pace Group will be stepping up to the plate to push a "gold standard" for the 3D industry to aim to match going forward. They are not the only ones.I will have more on that in a new post coming soon.

It's always a pleasure to speak with these guys who clearly have an ample finger on the pulse of S3D and are driving forces of the modern S3D changeover. I have also included several clips from their NAB presentation that I'm sure you will find enjoyable!

Here is what transpired during the interview - feel free to skip to the parts of your interest, but I invite you to listen to the whole thing:

1:20 -"Gold Standard" 3D:Ensuring the public gets the best 3D possible. Probably the single most important aspect of this announcement for me.

6:40 - Higher Frame Rate Discussion

10:35 - Higher Resolution: Essentially it should be listed as a second tier priority after higher frame rates and for very elegant reasons as outlined by Cameron.

12:18 -New Technologies In Play For Upcoming Projects: Cameron talks about their new system utilizing the ARRI ALEXA M camera, which is a 5.5 lb sensor block that is designed for S3D use. Pace talks about their new automation software suite that helps automate many aspects of shooting in 3D, thus reducing production time, costs at both set and bringing experts in.

14:52 - 3D Sports Discussion

Have a listen:

Further, I invite you to watch some clips provided to me highlighting Cameron and Pace at the NAB Show in Las Vegas that is happening right now. ENJOY!

Burbank, CA and Santa Monica, CA – April 12, 2011 – Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (“Clearlake”) and 3ality Digital today announced that Clearlake led and sponsored the recapitalization of 3ality Digital, the leading provider of 3D production technology and specialized equipment to the film and television industry. In connection with the transaction, Clearlake has acquired the majority of the newly-issued preferred stock of the company and will own a majority of the voting shares of 3ality Digital. 3ality Digital management also participated in the transaction. Additional terms were not disclosed.

“3ality Digital provides the highest quality 3D production technologies and equipment for film and television companies,”said Behdad Eghbali, a founding partner at Clearlake.“In addition, 3ality Digital reduces the cost and time associated with 3D production, provides superior images, and reduces eye strain. We are very pleased to partner with this proven and innovative team as the momentum behind 3D continues to build and as 3ality Digital continues to lead the way.”

“Clearlake Capital is investing in the biggest revolution in entertainment and sports production today – the emergence of 3D film and video programming, and we are thrilled to welcome them at this exciting time,”said Steve Schklair, Founder of 3ality Digital, who will continue to serve as the company’s CEO.“3ality Digital offers acknowledged leadership and best-in-class technologies, and we have been first in almost every 3D production event around the world. The backing of world-class investors ensures our continued significant investment in cutting-edge technologies that are driving down costs while significantly improving quality in 3D production.”

“As an early investor in 3ality Digital, the Modell family is thrilled to be joined by outstanding new partners,”said David Modell, Chairman of 3ality Digital. “Clearlake Capital has made a large commitment that is a strong validation of our strategy and our position as a 3D technology development leader at the top of this exploding market.”

In connection with the transaction, Mr. Eghbali and Prashant Mehrotra, a Vice President at Clearlake, have joined the Company’s Board of Directors.

Headwaters MB acted as financial advisor to Clearlake in this transaction.

3ality Digital provides the film and television industry with camera platforms, stereo image processing systems and stereoscopic 3D (S3D) image scaling technologies that are considered the “gold standard” for the production of compelling and immersive S3D entertainment. The company’s systems are unique because they integrate software intelligence with precise hardware automation, and allow the production of superb S3D on a 2D schedule, with minimal impact on the bottom line. 3ality Digital’s equipment and technologies are optimized to handle the demands of live S3D broadcast, and are rapidly being adopted by networks, production companies, studios and consumer electronics manufacturers. 3ality Digital’s technology is already being used on feature films such as THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN which is currently in production.

3ality Digital’s newest product line, 3space™, aims to forever change the experience and quality of every imaginable form of 3D entertainment, 3D sports, 3D commercial shoots and even 3D episodic television. 3space revolutionizes the production of live-action 3D by automating the most complex and time-consuming processes associated with shooting 3D. 3space ensures faster, easier and more reliable results than any other system in the industry while reducing or eliminating the additional labor typically required for 3D shoots.

###

About 3ality Digital3ality Digital is a pioneer and leading authority in stereoscopic 3D (S3D). 3ality Digital provides the film and television industry with camera platforms, stereo image processing systems and S3D image scaling technologies that are considered the “gold standard” for the production of compelling and immersive S3D entertainment. Whether for a feature film or live sporting event, its innovative technology empowers customers to stay in control of creativity when working with S3D.

Founded in 2000 by CEO, Steve Schklair, 3ality Digital has a reputation as an innovator in S3D, with its technology powering multiple live-action firsts. This includes: U2 3D, the first movie shot completely in live-action S3D; the first live S3D broadcast of an NFL game (Raiders vs. Chargers, December 4, 2008, broadcasted to a select audience); the first live S3D sports broadcast available to consumers, including the 2009 BCS Championship Game, BSkyB’s landmark Manchester United vs. Arsenal soccer broadcast (January 31, 2010), the first network hockey telecast ever produced in S3D (New York Rangers vs. Islanders, March 24 2010 on MSG); the first S3D commercial broadcast during a Super Bowl (Sobe “Lizard Lake”); the first full episode of a scripted television series shot in live-action S3D (Chuck vs. The Third Dimension, aired on NBC on February 2, 2009); and first RED EPIC S3D Movie, 'The Amazing Spider-Man.’

About Clearlake Capital GroupClearlake Capital Group, L.P. is a private investment firm focused on special situations such as corporate divestitures, recapitalizations, buyouts, restructurings, turnarounds and other equity investments. Clearlake seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital and operational expertise to invest in businesses going through change. Clearlake’s founding principals have led over 50 investments totaling more than $2.6 billion of capital in sectors including business services, communications and media, energy and power, healthcare, manufacturing, retail/consumer and technology. For more information, please visit www.clearlakecapital.com.